Acts 15:6–21

⁶The apostles and the elders met together to consider this matter. ⁷After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “My brothers,^a you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that I should be the one through whom the gentiles would hear the message of the good news and become believers.^{* 8}And God, who knows the human heart, testified to them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us,^{* 9}and in cleansing their hearts by faith he has made no distinction between them and us.^{* 10}Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing on the neck of the disciples a yoke that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear?^{* 11}On the contrary, we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”^*

¹²The whole assembly kept silence and listened to Barnabas and Paul as they told of all the signs and wonders that God had done through them among the gentiles.^{* 13}After they finished speaking, James replied, “My brothers,^b listen to me.^{* 14}Simeon has related how God first looked favorably on the gentiles, to take from among them a people for his name. ¹⁵This agrees with the words of the prophets, as it is written,

¹⁶‘After this I will return,

and I will rebuild the dwelling of David, which has fallen;

from its ruins I will rebuild it,

and I will set it up,^*

¹⁷so that all other peoples may seek the Lord—

even all the gentiles over whom my name has been called.

Thus says the Lord, who has been making these things ¹⁸known from long ago.’^c

¹⁹“Therefore I have reached the decision that we should not trouble those gentiles who are turning to God, ²⁰but we should write to them to abstain only from things polluted by idols and from sexual immorality and from whatever has been strangled^d and from blood.^{* 21}For in every city, for generations past, Moses has had those who proclaim him, for he has been read aloud every Sabbath in the synagogues.”^*